Answers to 20 Ohio school-funding questions you didn't know you had

Gov. John Kasich’s education budget impacts districts in a variety of ways and, like nearly every school-funding plan, is complicated.

The two-year proposal includes additional operating funds for schools, but not much, as tightening state revenue has limited available resources. Kasich says the plan drives money to schools with less capacity, but it also means less money for most districts.

So what is going on with this plan? Using Dispatch research and figures from analyst Howard Fleeter, here are 20 things that can improve understanding of the funding proposal:

1. Kasich did little to change the operation of the current funding formula, except to lower the minimum state share of transportation costs from 50 percent to 25 percent by 2019. This would impact 477 of 609 districts, though not all would actually lose money because of funding caps and floors.

2. The current base per-pupil funding of $6,000 this year would remain unchanged over the next two years. That also impacts charter school funding.

3. Districts that lost at least 5 percent of enrollment over the past five years would be subject to formula funding cuts of up to 5 percent in 2018. Enrollment in 325 of 609 districts dropped at least 5 percent, and of those districts, 78 percent would see funding cuts over two years.

4. Of the 80 districts that saw enrollment gains of more than 1 percent between 2011 and 2016, 70 percent would see funding increases over two years.

5. Tangible personal property tax reimbursements, designed to help schools deal with losses when the tax on equipment and inventory was eliminated a decade ago, would be further reduced. The $113 million reduction over two years would affect 158 districts.

6. Overall, 388 districts would lose state funding over two years, when including reductions in the tangible personal property tax reimbursement. Of those, 72 lose less than $10,000.

7. Four districts, including Upper Arlington, would see no change in their funding levels from 2017.

8. Of the 185 districts that saw no funding increase in the current two-year budget that ends June 30, 83 percent would see funding cuts over the next two years.

9. The state share index, a key component of the funding formula that uses property values and income to determine how much of the per-pupil funding amount the state should cover, would be lowered for 373 districts and raised for 237 districts. That would drop the average state share from 48.1 percent this year to 46.6 percent.

10. Of the 313 districts where the state share index would drop by at least 1 percent, 92 percent would lose funding over two years.

11. Of the 139 districts where the state share index would increase by at least 1 percent, 79 percent would see funding increases.

12. Maximum annual formula increases would be capped at 5 percent, down from 7.5 percent in the current budget. If not for the cap, districts including Olentangy and a number in Franklin County would share in another $466 million in state funding next year.

13. The number of districts on the “guarantee,” meaning they are prevented from losing more funding than they would otherwise lose under the formula, would increase from 133 this year to 321 by 2019. If not for the guarantee, districts would lose $181 million next year.

14. When grouped by size and demographics, the state’s 55 large and mid-size urban districts would get the largest average per-pupil increases. Rural and suburban districts, on average, would get less per pupil. Kasich notes that many rural districts have seen significant local revenue increases.

15. 236 districts would lose at least $100 per pupil over two years, including Worthington.

16. The highest per-pupil state funding in 2019 would go to Western Local in Pike County, at $12,696. The lowest would be $573 going to Rocky River in Cuyahoga County. Upper Arlington and Olentangy are close behind at $585 and $612.

17. The $8.5 billion in total state formula funding and tangible personal property tax reimbursements in 2019 would be 7.6 percent higher than the $7.9 billion total in 2011. Inflation over that time is estimated at 15.5 percent.

18. The highest per-pupil total in Franklin County in 2019 is $7,851 to Hamilton Local — the 66th highest total in the state.

19. Ten of 16 Franklin County districts would get less than $4,900 per pupil in 2019. The state average is $4,865.

20. On a per-pupil basis, Grandview Heights would lose the most in Franklin County ($684), while Hamilton gains the most ($719). The Hamilton total is sixth biggest gain in the state.

@phrontpage

jsiegel@dispatch.com

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